If you have further information or pictures about any of these ships, your contributions would be greatly appreciated.  Your information will be included and all due reference made.  Clicking on hot links within text will usually lead to links to other pages, pictures, or maps.
 
 



RMS Aurania

      This ship was owned by Cunard White Star Line. Her home base was Surrey Commercial Dock, London, where she usually discharged a small cargo of grain from Montreal, took on supplies, paid off the crew and signed new articles.  Her main trade was as a passenger liner operating from Southampton, and carried the Royal Mail. Many of her passengers were steerage class, from Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia or Poland, seeking a new life in Canada. She picked up additional passengers at Le Havre, and mail, then via the Belle Isle Strait, picking up a pilot at Rimouski  (Father Point), on the Gaspe peninsular, then proceeded to Quebec City. There she discharged some passengers and mail. On her return to the U.K.  she would stop at Plymouth, then Southampton, and on to London.  This ship flew the blue ensign, indicating that the officers were members of the Royal Naval Reserve, which was quite a prodigious acclaim, and a much sought after honour for liner companies wishing to establish an aura of perfection.
At the age of 12 yrs. I started at Rotherhithe Nautical School, located very near Surrey Commercial Docks, and quite often during the lunch break we boys would go around the docks looking at the ships. The dock entrances were guarded by the London Police, but were really no match for enterprising young boys. At the age of 14 yrs. my side-kick and I decided it would be a thrilling idea to take a trip on one of these Cunard ships during our Summer holiday, knowing that they did employ some young lads. We inquired of the Quartermaster guarding the gangway, how we could go about getting such a job, and he directed us to the Superintendent in one of the saloons. In naval uniform, as allowed by the Admiralty, aside from the imposing stripes and insignia (We were a couple of the top boys of our school), we looked a little better than the average rough-neck who applied for these jobs, and I think this had a positive effect on the man. As bold as brass we stated our desire and he promised to advise us at the school.
We were quite elated with this news and bragged to our peers that we were all set to go abroad for our holiday. The news spread like wild fire, and soon we were called to the headmaster, Captain Hanvey to confirm, what he had heard as a rumour. He congratulated us on our enterprise and in fact, related the news at the next assembly, and held us as shining examples. The following Tuesday he called us to his office to ask if we had heard further, knowing that the ship's crew signed new articles on the Thursday, that the ship departed on the Friday to arrive at Southampton early Saturday morning for embarkation. With a hang-dog look we had to admit to hearing nothing. He picked up the phone and called the Super. at the Cunard offices, after then relating our anxiety he proceeded to give him a right dressing down. At that moment we thought the job was lost for sure, but then we heard something like, 'I jolly would think so. I shall see that they get aboard at 10 am on Thursday morning'. We then realized that all was saved. He actually knew the Super. Thursday morning we were called to his office at 9 am when he ordered us to the ship, to sign on, and report back to him. We were then released from school for the rest of the day, after we had been threatened upon pain of death if we be late for the ship's departure. We actually made two trips to Canada as bridge boys. Seeing as we both had about 6 certificates for signaling, it was thought fitting that we carried the Marconigrams (Telegrams) to and from the Marconi office to the office on watch. We earned 10/- a week. My mother allowed me into the Public Bar of the Shard Arms (London pub) to drink a glass of port with her and my father, even though I was under age, which even though evoking quizzical glances from the locals, they knew better than to challenge this illegality with my mother there.

Note

On Oct 21 1941. Aurania was attacked whilst enroute across the Atlantic. Three torpedoes were fired at her and two missed. The other made a large hole at the side, but she managed to get matters under control and limped away at 8 knts. making it to port. Some lifeboats were launched, and when the U-Boat returned they picked up one survivor for interrogation who convinced them that the ship had been sunk, thereby possibly saving them from complete destruction.
(Obtained from the book (Hitler's U-Boat War)
 
 

Three more pictures of the Aurania
We were sent some pictures of a momento of an Aurania voyage. Click here for more information.

We were sent a picture of an iceberg in the North Atlantic taken from onboard the Aurania
by Hedley Harding.  He was a member of the crew as a steward or a cook.  More details on his
service would be appreciated.
The picture was submitted by grand daughter, Tina Holmes.
Click here for the picture:

 
A gentleman from Holland saw our site on the Internet and offered, gratis, a brochure advertising the pre-war sailing of the Aurania from Rotterdam to Quebec and Montreal. The N.V. Anglo-Continentale Transport Maatschappij prepared this brochure. The intriguing thing about the brochure is that they offered only 2 classes of service: "Saloon (cabin)" or "Third Class" passage.  Pictures and some roughly translated text appears on a NEW PAGE.

Hans Udo supplied the brochure and you can catch up with his website:

<http://military-modelling.klup.info/>HERE